Category Archives: Diamonds

ANCIENT Romans called diamonds “the tears of the gods”. They believed these sparkling, indestructible gems could only be divine.

In a way, the Romans weren’t too far from the truth. Diamonds are the rarest mineral on earth. They were created by mother nature herself more than 3 billion years ago. Under the earth’s crust, only crushing volcanic forces and intense heat could produce a diamond.

As April is officially dedicated to this legendary gem, we’ve gathered ten astounding diamond facts for you. Find out what they mean to April babes, and why one half of the world’s biggest diamond is still missing…

1. At first, diamonds were not used for jewellery

Diamonds were discovered in southern Asia about 4,000 BC. However, at first they weren’t regarded as valuable jewels. Archeological evidence suggests early Indians used hard diamonds to sharpen and polish tools.

2. It took us 5,000 years to learn to cut diamonds

Rough diamonds were popular decorations among early Greeks and Romans, but because of their hardness they were never cut into shapes. It wasn’t until the Middle Ages that Venetian jewellers discovered how to carve them by using other diamonds. The first diamond shape was the “point cut” with eight identical sides.

3. A royal diamond engagement ring started “a trend of love”

In 1476, the Archduke Maximilian of Austria started a new trend by proposing to Mary of Burgundy with a diamond ring. Ever since then, diamond rings have been regarded as the ultimate symbol of love and commitment.

4. The name “diamond” has real meaning

Diamonds have a unique molecular structure which makes them incredibly hard. Scientists give them the highest rating of 10 on the Mohs Scale of mineral hardness. It’s therefore not surprising that the English word “diamond” originates from the Greek word “adámas”, which means “unbreakable”.

5. Diamonds make you lucky in love, especially if you’re born in April

Diamonds are the official birthstone for April and for the birth sign of Aries. Their incredible beauty and durability symbolise love. Diamonds are said to protect marriages, especially when given as gifts of commitment, such as an engagement rings or anniversary presents. The power of a diamond is said to multiply when it’s the wearer’s birthstone.

6. One half of the world’s biggest diamond is still missing

The biggest diamond ever found was the Cullinan. It weighed 3106.75 carats and was cut into two magnificent gems, one of them the Star of Africa in the British crown jewels. But what many people don’t know is that one side of the original Cullinan diamond was completely smooth. According to Sir William Crookes, who evaluated the stone, it had broken clean off from a much larger diamond and the other half still “awaits discovery by some fortunate miner”.

7. It takes years for a diamond to travel from a mine onto your finger

Tons of earth and rock must be shifted before miners find one diamond. The rubble is gone through by hand and any diamonds found are sent to be graded and cut by experts. Only after this do diamonds find their way to wholesalers or jewellery designers. Often a diamond will have spent years travelling between continents before you wear it.

8. Marilyn Monroe made every girl want diamonds

Seeing glamorous Marilyn Monroe sing “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” is utterly unforgettable. Right after the song featured in the 1949 film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, diamond sales soared!

9. Diamonds are also football star Cristiano Ronaldo’s best friend

To honour his third Ballon d’Or win, the oh-so-good-looking Real Madrid player was given a pair of diamond football boots by his sponsor Nike. The boots are made with real micro diamonds that symbolise Cristiano’s hard work ethic.

10. The round cut diamond is the most sparkling of all diamonds

Although diamonds come in many shapes, the round brilliant cut is by far the most popular. So much so, that of all the diamonds sold, more than three quarters are round. The reason? Round diamonds have more facets and therefore far more sparkle than any other gem shape!

“I was hopeful, but you really never know,” Gary Ingram says. “It’s always a surprise to be nominated.”

We’re at TheDiamondStore’s headquarters, the place where the magic happens. In the interview hot seat is the man behind it all, Gary Ingram, the online jeweller’s CEO and founder. We’re discussing their recent announcement as one of the UK Jewellery Awards 2015 nominees – and some very exciting new jewellery items… Continue reading →

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It takes a lot to keep up with expensive fashion and jewellery trends, and sometimes before you know it you’ve burnt a big hole in your wallet simply to stay on trend. Luckily, with The Diamond Store’s jewels, you don’t have to. We have tons of pieces that look fab that you don’t have to dip into your life savings to purchase!

We all love our heart pendants; this The Diamond Store’s and Tiffany’s heart necklace are so similar you would never notice the difference!

Tiffany
£2,450.00

Heart Pendant 0.30CT Diamond 9K White Gold
£329.00

Kim Kardashian is also a big fan of her heart necklaces and jewellery! This is a perfect piece to give as a gift. Men, take note for girlfriends/wives birthday’s or next Valentine’s Day!

Our favourite French jeweller Cartier has some divine pink sapphire rings, which we at The Diamond Store are in love with too (amazing colour for this time of year.)

Cartier £2,500

Pink Sapphire Ring Pink Sapphire 9K Yellow Gold
£189.00

Nicole Richie is obviously a big pink sapphire fan too, it’s the colour of her engagement ring! Adds a pop of colour to any outfit.

Everyone adores a beautiful pair of diamond drop earrings and we have some that are not so dissimilar to that of De Beers’.

De Beers. Price Unknown

18K White Gold Diamond Earring 1.26CT
£1575.00

All the A-Listers are wearing diamond drops – simply a timeless classic. If they’re good enough for them, they’re certainly good enough for us!

Who isn’t a lover of elegant emeralds? We personally think they suit everybody and always look gorgeous.

Boodles, Price Unknown

Emerald 0.70CT & Diamond 18K White Gold Pendant
£529.00

Lastly, you can’t beat a simple and beautiful engagement ring. We have found a Van Cleef & Arpels ring that resembles ours almost exactly! (except ours is under the £1,000 mark)

Van Cleef & Arpels
£3,850

High Set Chloe Platinum Canadian Diamond Ring 0.30CT
£975.00

To read more about other Spring 2014 jewellery trends, take a look at Harpers Bazaar’s ‘Runway Jewellery’ post:

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We would like to give a warm welcome to our guest blogger of the week, Sophie Atkinson from www.theshirtcompany.com. The Shirt Company are experts in women’s blouses and shirts making it so easy to find THAT perfect white shirt. Sophie kindly lets us know her top tips for pairing your favourite shirts with jewellery to add that added oomph to your ensemble.

If you’re a creative soul, you probably love minimal clothes. A white shirt is like a blank canvas – it’s far easier to add personal touches to a plain shirt (your favourite lipstick, a delicate necklace, a fun scarf) and style it to reflect your personality than it is with that zany high street dress that everyone’s bought that clashes with every pair of shoes you own and means you have to spend all night at a house party hiding from your five other style doppelgangers.

We don’t think minimalism has to equal plain – in fact, we’re complete magpies at The Shirt Company HQ and if it sparkles, we’ve probably bought it!

DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER (THAT MEANS DAYTIME, TOO)

On Valentine’s Day last year, I had an enormous, stonking argument with my boyfriend about diamonds. Ladies – judge me not – I wasn’t browbeating him into a proposal or anything. My other half simply made the mistake of confessing that he’d been thinking about buying me a fabulous, glamorous diamond necklace, but had then asked himself, where would I wear it?

My jaw dropped. The depressing thing is, my boyfriend’s not alone in thinking like this. So many women seem to think you need to be an Oscar winner to wear a diamond necklace or have tickets to the opera.

Are we in 2013 or 1813? Diamonds are classic – just like blue jeans, white shirts, and that little black dress you’ve worn to death. They’re tasteful, never showy, and as such, are just the thing for daytime attire as well as evening. So promise me this: buy yourself diamonds (because really, again, it’s 2013, so we shouldn’t really be waiting for our boyfriends to do it for us) and wear them to the office tomorrow, with your favourite work shirt. Plus I promise you they’re not the mortgaging-your-house price you might assume them to be if you haven’t bought diamonds before – I usually try The Diamond Store for great pieces that cater for any and every budget.

CONSIDER THE NECKLINE

As with yoga, Buddhism, and carrying your work bag, gym kit and shopping bags all the way home when you miss the bus, great styling’s all about balance. A simple neckline goes well with more ornate, decorative jewellery. However, don’t make the mistake of thinking that a frilled or ruffled neckline has to be worn without jewellery. Even statement shirts look lovely with a simple chain – a small diamond simply accentuates the glamour that the neckline introduces. Something like this gorgeously simple necklace will add a subtle sparkle to pretty much any outfit, no matter how ornate.

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TRUST YOUR GUT

Styling rules are useful, but ultimately fashion should be fun and a way of saying ‘Hey World, this is what I’m about’. If you love classic style, don’t be swayed by magazine editorials – rock that discrete diamond, that thin chain. Equally, if you’re loud, lively and love strong, bold pieces, go for ‘em. Isn’t the beauty of jewellery is that it’s such an intensely personal thing? So ditch the rules and load up on multiple bangles or three different necklaces of varying lengths, if that’s what you’re into, or the most lovely, subtle chain.

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Still stuck for inspiration? Check out our favourite pics from across the web of some lovely shirts worn with even lovelier jewellery.

Street style from Stockholm.

A discrete diamond cross and shirt combo, courtesy of Elle Spain.

From the Veronique Branquinho Spring/Summer 2013 collection, models wore bracelets at the tops of their arms.

The Diamond Store blog has collaborated with the talented designer and stylist, Nikita Karizma. The young London designer breaks the mold of design by expressing powerful positive messages through her clothing.

She graduated from London College of Fashion in 2011 with a love of hard-edged fabrics, armoured structure & launched her label in 2012 with a strong ‘punk/pop, glam/grunge” design aesthetic. She was commissioned to create clothes for Amelia Lily and Little Mix for The X Factor finals from her graduate range, also published in Dazed and Confused. Following commissions include for Alexandra Burke’s Heartbreak on Hold album launch, the JLS 4th Dimension tour, DYLON Colour Catcher, Tess Daly, Viktoria Modesta, Little Mix, Misha B and Poppy Delevingne.

Diamonds, pop stars and fashion designers

The fashion industry, models, designers and music artists all create what we call pop culture, which I believe is a hugest influence on fashion and social trends of society today. I have highlighted my favourite diamond pop culture influences of this season as The Diamond’s Store guest blogger.

VICTORIA’S SECRET FANTASY BRA

The Victoria Secret fantasy bra this year is being worn by Angel Candice. This year it is dubbed as the Royal Fantasy bra with 4,200 precious gems including rubies, diamonds and yellow sapphires set in 18 carat gold with a 52-carat ruby at the centre, worth $10 million. The nod towards British heritage in this years Victoria’s Secret catwalk show will undoubtedly spark off a trend of British inspired diamond jewellery.

The prestigious, jeweled luxury item was last year worn by Alessandra Ambrosio and encrusted with amethysts, sapphires, rubies, white, pink and yellow diamonds all encrusted with 19 carat rose and yellow gold.

DIAMOND EAR CUFF

Rita Ora and Cara Delevingne both wore diamond encrusted ear cuffs this year on the red carpet. The beautiful accessories stole the show with both girls sweeping their hair up to showcase the diamond ear piece. Rita Ora wore the diamond accessory with a beautiful white Marchesa gown.

CELEBRITY GRILLS

2013 has seen to the worlds most famous music artists flashing diamond grills. Love them or hate them the likes of Katy Perry, Madonna, Rihanna, Kim Kardashian, Beyonce and Miley Cyrus have been spotted with real gold or diamond encrusted teeth.

JEWEL ENCRUSTED HEADGEAR

Kim Kardashian was shot famously by Karl Lagerfeld this year whilst pregnant. The images featured a heavily jewelled headgear covering Kim’s face. Jewelled headgear are always a huge statement on the red carpet and catwalk but this piece has taken the trend to a new level by concealing her entire face.

Rita Ora has continually made fashion headlines during her sky rocketing music career this year. I love this photo shoot of Rita wearing a diamond encrusted antler headgear. The statement piece made the look and Rita’s personality completed the look.

DESIGNER FOCUS: CHANEL

The Chanel show in Paris was the most Avant Garde showcase of Fashion Week this season complete with a pop art runway, the world’s most famous celebrities and fashion royalty. Cara Delevingne stole the show, Miranda Kerr wore diamond encrusted sunglasses to the event and Katy Perry caused a fashion stir posing with a giant Chanel bag.

Chanel have a history of working with diamonds and precious stones in their luxury jewellery collections. It all began in 1932 when Coco Chanel declared her love for diamonds. ‘I want jewels that slip between fingers of a woman like a ribbon.’

This video takes you through the history of diamonds with Coco Chanel in 1932 till Chanel today.

Follow Nikita’s style journey over on her official website http://www.nikitakarizma.com/. Keep posted with Nikita’s daily antics by following her on Twitter @Nikita_Karizma

If you are looking to purchase the perfect diamond studs and give them as a gift to that special someone, consider a fabulous pair of diamond stud earrings. Diamonds have long been considered one of the perfect gifts for a lady and you can’t go too wrong with a classic stud. Fashion trends are always changing, but some things seem to never change including the timeless diamond stud earrings. When it comes to diamond stud earrings, there are many great choices to suit all tastes and style.

The advantage of wearing diamond studs is simple: no matter if you are wearing a classic blue jean or a beautiful wedding dress, studs will always look great! We handcraft a variety of different diamond studs. If you’re struggling to choose a gift from the selection, consider the following points:

1. What is the shape of her face? If her face is thin, then round cut diamond studs will look best. If her face is slightly broader, then princess cut diamond studs will complement her look. You’ll want to match up the right diamond for the right face to give her the right look.

2. What is her skin tone? The metal setting for the diamond should match her skin tone. White gold or platinum sets off a cool skin tone while yellow gold looks great on a woman with a warm skin tone. Perhaps match this colour to the colour of jewellery she normally wears.

3. Does she already own studs? Upgrade her cubic zirconia to beautiful diamond studs or if she already owns a simple pair, try buying a more adventurous, unique style.

Chloe Diamond Stud £289

3.4mm 18K White Gold Diamond Stud Earrings – 0.30CT

The delicate round cut of these decorative diamond stud earrings give them an elegance which will never go out of fashion. The 18K white gold settings securely hold the 0.30CT Premium Quality Diamonds in a choice of a 4 or 6 claw grip. The Chloe range of earrings are available in alternative carat weights.

ITEM REF:FG23-52RMY

Galileo Diamond Stud £649

Galileo 1.00ct Look Diamond 0.30ct and 18k White Gold Earrings

Get the look of a much larger diamond with the Galileo diamond setting. Using a clever method of setting smaller diamonds to perfectly fit, we are able to create the illusion of a single diamond. In these earrings, the look of the 0.30cts of Diamonds are equal to a pair of diamonds with a 1.00ct total diamond weight.

The glamorous look of these diamond stud earrings ensures they will make a lovely gift for someone special. The earrings feature a total of 0.66CT of G/VS Quality Diamonds which sparkle in the yellow gold rub over setting.

ITEM REF: FG25-88XUA

What kind of diamond studs do you own? Do you like our top picks and guide? Leave a comment below!

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Evening bracelets are beautiful, stunning bracelets that most women have whether they are real diamonds or not, that only come out at night. Just look at this bracelet below, its exquisite. This particular bracelet below is a 9K White Gold Bracelet with 8.00ct of diamonds in a pave setting with a pretty heavy price tag of over £6,000 although that seems really cheap compared to the recommended retail price of over £12,000! I love this bracelet and its definately going on my wish list, where Im sure it will stay.

If you are looking for something pretty blingy but with not such a big price tag, you could consider a silver bracelet like these ones. Silver is much cheaper than White or Yellow Gold or Platinum, so it may be a good option if you don’t want to spend too much. These Silver & Diamond Bracelets are beautiful in the flesh.

Another beautiful Evening Bracelet is the Tennis Bracelet. Both these Diamond Tennis Bracelets are 1ct diamond bracelets but there is a huge difference in price. One is nearly £900 pounds and the other is £359 (at time of writing this post). Can you see any difference? Well the difference is that one is a Silver Bracelet and the other is 9k white gold. Take a guess which one is which.

The Diamond Store have a beautiful selection of Diamond Bracelets in White Gold, Yellow Gold, Silver or Plantinum. All bracelets come with a 5 year guarantee and delivered free of charge in a beautiful gift box.